In BBC The Reading Group, we bring together listeners, students of English, literature teachers and other contributors from the world of books to share their enthusiasm for reading.
If you’d like to share your experiences of reading books in English as a foreign language, you can join our BBC Learning English group on Facebook. We’ll have topics on the Discussion board linked to the subjects covered in The Reading Group programmes.

BBC The Reading Group Part 1
In the first programme we discuss some of the difficulties of reading in a different language, and we also visit an English language club in Russia.

BBC The Reading Group Part 2
We discuss ways to improve your vocabulary by reading in English, and we visit the home of the famous lexicographer, Samuel Johnson.

BBC The Reading Group Part 3
How can we read books from other cultures more effectively? We discuss Zadie Smith’s bestseller The White Teeth and talk to the editor of the first ‘cultural dictionary’.

BBC The Reading Group Part 4
We look at one of the classic romantic novels of English literature, Jane Eyre. A Reading Group member visits the British Library to find out more about the prolific Bronte sisters.

BBC The Reading Group Part 5
In this programme, we join a group of book lovers at their meeting with award-winning, Nigerian author Ben Okri. Writer Susan Osborne offers advice on how to set up your own reading group.

BBC The Reading Group Part 6
We discover the history behind one of the most famous places for reading in the world – the Reading Room of The British Museum in London. Author Jenny Hartley talks about reading groups around the world.

BBC The Reading Group Part 7
A Reading Group member visits The British Library to find out about the poetry and tragic life of Sylvia Plath. We also discuss the advantages of using ‘simplified readers.’

BBC The Reading Group Part 8
We discuss the appeal of a classic French book beloved by adults and children – The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Arundhati Roy talks about her internationally best-selling novel, The God of Small Things.

BBC The Reading Group Part 9 (no transcript)
A learner from Afghanistan talks about her reading habits, Martin Parrott talks about using the internet to read English and we drop into a popular bookshop in Mumbai. Please note: the script for this programme is not currently available.

BBC The Reading Group Part 10
In this, the last programme in the series, we learn about a scheme to bring books to Africa, we discover a learner’s favourite book and Martin Parrott discusses how to find English language magazines.